Tethered Hearts are Free
by justanotherwriter00
Summary: After Robin and his family's departure, unexpected revelations will change Regina's life and of those around her forever. Slow-burn OutlawQueen and SwanQueen friendship. Rated T for certain subjects.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, everyone! This is my new story with (soIwrite) we decided to do our own take of what happened after Robin left, and based on some spoilers and our own imaginations, we've decided to continue and AU of what might happen from that moment. **

**I think we all need to at least continue the story in some way after that winter finale that broke so many hearts. We really hope you enjoy this story as much as we did while writing it. **

**For those of you wondering, I will be updating my other story Consuming Darkness sometime next week :)**

**oOo**

He was gone. The queen kept her eyes on the empty road, watching how the man she so fervently adored got lost in the distance. They had parted ways with just a few words, but words could not explain how either of them felt. Her heart was breaking, aching and she held onto his memory as hard as she could in order to keep him alive inside her. Regina closed her eyes allowing a small tear to run down her face as she tried to picture their last moment together. Her breath washing against his face, their brows merely touching as they got lost in each other's eyes. He had begun to speak only to pause at a loss of words, but she needn't hear words when she knew by just looking at him exactly how he felt. His gentle, blue eyes showed her everything the man in front of her couldn't find the words to express: sadness, anguish, love, determination, fear and she knew her countenance mirrored his.

As their intertwined fingers parted she had realized with a clawing pain that that was the last time she'd ever feel those hands again, those calloused yet gentle and loving hands. She tried to drink her last sight of him no matter how pained and sorrowful it was. His bright eyes held a kind of love no other man had ever directed to her; because it was a kind of love no other man would ever be able to give her.

He was warm with a spark in his blue eyes and a sinewy complexity that if met to a meticulous eye, would suggest so much more to him than just his good physique and kind words. The archer's personality was so much more intricate it was a perfect match to her own. His battered heart gave her an understanding instead of pitiful feeling unlike pure hearts did. Regina clung to every detail of her soul mate as if those were the only things with the ability to keep her standing. But the harder she tried to treasure those details, they started to fade and so did her strength -both physical and mental-.

With the only better judgment left inside her she started backing away slowly. There was nothing left in front of her but barren road, for he was long gone. She turned around and walked with her head facing downwards, introducing her hands in the pockets of her heavy coat… and finding the missing page of the book that had so unfairly condemned her. The paper slid through her hands almost in a mocking way. Slowly, but firmly, she ripped it into pieces, letting them fly away with the evening wind, taking away what had seemed to be such a pleasant dream, snatching it from her no matter how hard she tried to keep it.

Regina opened the door of her black Mercedes and stepped in with a sigh. She stayed in front of the steering wheel for a while, waiting in vain for her feelings to pass. At some point, she turned on the engine and limited herself to drive, secretly hoping that it would somehow help and take her far, far away from there. Every mile she put between herself and the town line seemed to take a certain weight off her shoulders, but never enough to ameliorate her pain completely. She drove for what felt like a long time, trying to focus on nothing but the feeling of the car moving and the sound of the engine and the wind passing by. She knew it. She'd known it all along. _Villains don't get happy endings… _The stupid words kept echoing inside her head, reminding her of the truth in an almost derisive way.

All of a sudden the car started hopping, which got Regina out of her daydream. She looked around, and realized that she had just gotten to the entrance to the forest, right at the other side of the town. Somehow, she wasn't surprised that her wandering had taken her there. At the end of the day, it was the place that reminded her of Robin the most. There, in those same woods, the archer had had his camp. In that same woods he had -in what now seemed like an eternity ago- kissed her for the very first time. Without hesitating, and after making sure no one was around, Regina pressed the accelerator with her foot, leading the car into the heavy leaves. At the beginning, it almost protested, as it was probably not made to go through the foliage and the rough surface, it but finally subsided and smoothly took its driver to the middle of the timber, where she finally stopped and killed the engine.

The place felt so quiet and so empty without Robin giving it life… the day had gone darker, and as the queen sat inside of her cold Mercedes in the middle of the desolate woods, she finally allowed herself to think about what had just happened. She'd had no choice, had she? It wasn't like she could've lived without telling Robin that there was a way to save Marian. He had asked for her help since the beginning, and she was pretty aware that saving her had been the right thing to do. But still… it hadn't made doing it any easier at all. She'd done what she was supposed to, but only to end up losing her happiness, like she always did… She felt another tear run down her cheek, and this time she didn't do anything to wipe it off.

And there she was now, right in the middle of the place that they both had once shared, and this time she was there all alone. She laughed sadly and looked down, trying to swallow the knot that had just formed in her throat. It was unfair, yes. But it was also aggravating, frustrating. She'd had to wave goodbye at her soulmate and watch him walk away with his newly resurrected wife and the beautiful child she'd once been willing to raise. She'd had to witness the crumbling of her every hope and dream. Before she knew it, she had hit the dashboard with such strength that she could still feel her swing vibrating all over its surface. She let a tiny cry escape her lips and suddenly she was sobbing, crying while she held onto the steering wheel in a lame try to keep her heart from shattering into a thousand tiny pieces. She cried for Robin and for herself too. She cried for what could've been their future and she also cried while she remembered the man that had so quickly made her multiple walls crumble and fall. She cried until the pressure in her chest finally diminished, leaving her with a feeling of emptiness.

Regina kept her head lying limply on the car's dashboard until there were no more possible tears to shed and her loud cries diminished into broken, desperate sobs. The simple act of breathing seemed to take an important toll on her as her sobs interrupted each and every breath she attempted to take. Her oxygen deprivation started to create a small yet increasing pounding at the back of her head that she immediately took notice of. In order to stop it from going any further, Regina placed her hand on her mouth with the intention of stifling her sobs and evening her breathing- she failed miserably. Instead, she tried pursing her lips and taking small breaths through her nose- at which she succeeded. The former queen repeated the process until her sharp intakes of breath became more subtle and controlled; even though the pounding in her head only seemed to increase the more she tried to prevent it from doing just that.

When it hit her, why was she so devastated by losing something she never even possessed in the first place? Robin was never really hers to take. Not when his wife came back into his life, not when he had saved her from herself during that pesky year. The pounding in her head was becoming unbearable and she placed her hands at the sides of her head as she debated with herself. How could she possibly be so thick? After all that had happened in her life, after all she'd done, she still hoped? What was there for her to hope for? _Insolent child... _she could hear her mother's voice scolding her for being so naive, so gullible. There were no such things as true love, or soul mates -not regarding her at least- Her hands started to close forming fists, her hair getting tangled between her fingers as she kept applying pressure to them. She needed to get herself together; this wasn't her… or was it? Had she always been as weak as her mother used to claim her to be? Her face started to distort into a frown and then a scowl. No, she couldn't have been. No weak person could've been able to accomplish what she did in such a short amount of time.

After a few seconds of debating with herself, Regina came to a conclusion: she was a villain and that's all there was and ever would be to it. She needed to move on with her life and wake up from her pleasant fantasy. Waving her hands she appeared parked in front of her mansion in Mifflin Street. She stepped out of the car and turned up to look at the night sky. How much time had she been gone? It had only been noon when she bid Robin farewell. Then she remembered, Henry must've come home already… she quickly stepped inside the car and shut the door. He couldn't see her like this. Regina took a deep breath, fluffed her hair and put on a mask. Because as much as it hurt her to hide her feelings from her beloved son, this was something he didn't need to witness. Watching his mother fall apart in front of him would cause him to worry- and that was the last thing she wanted.

Finally stepping out, Regina closed the door and locked her car before walking to the entrance of her house until she was faced with a big, white door. The former queen rubbed her temple -which hadn't stopped throbbing- sighed and stepped in.

"Henry? Honey, I'm home" She called as she turned the lights on. _He must be upstairs _she thought. Regina started walking upstairs feeling tired as she did. Her steps echoed throughout the house, but Henry hadn't seemed to notice the way her feet stomped harder than usual.

When she reached his room she opened the door and caught a glimpse of her boy pretty engulfed in his storybook. He had a frown in his face and he seemed to be staring intently at something in it.

She cleared her throat to let her presence be known. Almost immediately he turned to face her and put his book aside.

"Hey, mom" Henry said as he sat straight and smiled kindly at her.

"Hi" she said as she walked in and sat down next to him trying her best to return his smile, but she wasn't feeling all that happy to properly do so- something the boy apparently noticed-

"Are you okay?" concern filled his voice and his eyes shone with understanding. He looked more mature than he actually was. Regina nodded and replied fine with a better effort of a smile.

Henry didn't seem so convinced, but she continued anyway, "Emma called." She lied. "She really misses you; perhaps you should spend the weekend with her and explain Operation Mongoose to her. You know she hasn't got the hang of it yet." she chuckled softly.

Henry smiled a small smile, but by no means believed his mother's words. "You know you don't need to lie to me, right? You can tell me the truth, mom. If you need space you can just tell me and I'll give it to you." he replied truthfully.

Regina smiled sadly at her son's words. He had grown up so much, and he'd caught her lie from the beginning. She felt guilty for even trying to do so. "You're right, and I apologize for even trying. I do need a couple of days to myself and sort things out, yes, but that doesn't mean I'm getting rid of you. You know that right? You can come home on Sunday for dinner, how about that?"

"I know, mom. I'll tell Emma to come pick me up in a few. You can go and relax." He smiled and nudged for her to stand.

Regina smiled back -truthfully this time- and complied. "Thank you, dear." She kissed his forehead and stepped outside his room.

Emma Swan parked her car in front of the manor. She'd got on it as soon as she received Henry's call telling her to come get him. Somehow she was glad she'd get to spend some time with her son, but she also knew very well that there was something else going on. According to what she'd heard, Regina had waved goodbye for real at Robin Hood in the town line just that afternoon. That could only mean that she'd probably be broken by then. Emma knew her well enough to tell that Regina would try to hide her every feeling about it, and that was exactly what worried her… if she was certain of something, it was that leaving the former queen alone to deal with her thoughts had never brought any good to anybody.

The savior opened the car's door quickly, and stepped out into the cold night air, closing it behind her. The porch's light was on, which calmed her down a little bit. She walked up the steps that led to the principal door, and rang the bell with steady movements. Almost immediately, it flew open, Henry standing behind it.

"Hi, kid." Greeted the blonde, trying to sound casual.

"Hey, mom. It took you no time to get here…" The boy said in return.

Emma looked at his now tall complexion and then into his eyes. She quickly could tell that he wasn't absolutely fine, and she had some idea of why was that.

"How is she?" Emma asked. There was no need to specify who she was talking about. Henry understood very well who she was referring to also.

"I don't know… there was something weird about her. I'm not sure she's okay." He answered, with concern clear in his eyes.

They exchanged understanding looks for a moment, until Emma finally decided to speak.

"You know… why don't you get in the car and wait for me for just a second. I'll go check on her and then we can both go home and watch Netflix or something."

Henry nodded and walked past her towards the yellow bug. Emma watched him get inside and close the door, and then she turned around and entered the house slowly. The huge place felt cold and quiet. She opened her mouth to call for Regina, but closed it after remembering that announcing that she was coming in could make the other woman vanish right away from the place. She chose to walk silently up the stairs, and then through the hall towards Regina's bedroom. She wasn't quite sure of which door led to it, but her years of sneaking into other people's houses always came in handy when it was about figuring out which door led to what. After wandering about a little, she finally made her pick and knocked the one she thought to be the right one.

"Regina?" She called out. "Are you there?"

There was no answer.

"Regina!" She tried again. "May I come in?"

She waited a few moments for her to come out or give some sign of life, but in vain.

"Regina, I know that maybe you weren't expecting me, but I just wanted to check on you and make sure you were okay-

"Well you can go now" Snapped Regina through the other side of the door. "And no, I wasn't expecting you. In fact, if I had known you were coming in, I would've been long gone by now."

"Come on, open the door." Emma tried. She was pretty aware that it wasn't going to be easy to get Regina to open the door.

"I don't feel like having any company right now, Emma." She said, clearly exasperated.

"You know I won't leave until I talk to you. Come on, you don't have to be alone in this." By now, the savior was on the brink of giving up.

"Do you seriously have nothing better to do? Henry is waiting outside." As she said this, the door swung open, and Regina appeared behind it looking miserable, but within what was possible -Emma thought- fine.

The two women locked eyes for a while, and there was really no need to say anything more. Emma's eyes showed her relief at seeing that Regina wasn't totally broken, while the other woman's eyes made it very clear that even though she was not, she was still pretty bad.

"You know you're not alone in this, right?" Emma began, but Regina simply gave her a pained look.

"Right now, I _want _to." She said firmly.

The brunette's eyes were a red, and her usually perfect hair looked a little bit tousled. She was also pale, but Emma knew she was a strong woman, and she'd handled worse.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're okay." Said the blonde while she took a step back. "I'm taking Henry to my place and bringing him back on Sunday. Call if you need anything…"

"I won't." Was all Regina said before vanishing behind the door and snapping it shut. Even then, Emma could almost swear she'd seen a faint smile, but maybe she'd only imagined it.

The savior turned around and walked again through the hall and then down the stairs. She passed through the door and closed it behind her, and then went down the steps and finally into the car, where Henry was already waiting. As she got in her seat, she looked towards him and gave him a comforting smile.

"It's not easy for her, you know? But you know your mother, she'll be just fine. We just need to give her some space right now, that's all. Now let's go, kid. It's getting late." She turned on the engine and drove towards her place, while Henry looked through the window with thoughtful eyes.

The bug got lost in the dark road, and so did its passengers, both ignorant at the fact that someone, hidden in the foliage, was watching them dangerously close… somewhere in the heavy night, an icy, blasting laugh was heard.

**oOo**

**Please R&R and tell us what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Finally we were able to update. Thank you so much for all your positive reviews, they really help us write faster! As for the guest who very rudely expressed his/her opinion, well, we really don't know what to say, but be gentle XD. For what we understood, you were just angry with the show and took it out on us which is not fair. Please refrain from rude, unnecessary comments. That being said, happy reading!**

**oOo**

Emma Swan parked the yellow bug in front of Mary Margaret's building. As she killed the engine and opened the car's door, she couldn't help but notice that the street was disturbingly quiet. The cold night air hit her with a slap and before she knew it, a thrill had run down her spine... The sound of Henry's door opening and closing startled her, making her give a little jump. She tried to shake off the sudden fear that had stricken her and put herself together fast. Quickly, she walked towards the building, gesturing for the boy to follow her.

"You really think my mum will be okay?" Asked Henry with the same concern he'd shown previously in the evening.

The savior looked at her son's worried face and gently put a hand on his shoulder.

"I know she'll be okay, kid. You don't have to worry about it alright? Plus, I'll be checking on her soon to make sure she's fine. You're only here for the weekend, remember?" She tried to sound as reassuring as she could, but she knew very well that the days when she could make the boy believe whatever she wanted were pretty much gone. This older Henry was much more difficult to lie to; she could know that just by looking into his eyes.

However, the teenager seemed to understand that nothing was going to come out of it, so he stopped asking questions and followed his mom up the stairs towards the apartment door. The woman looked tired, and he could tell that she was concerned too. Concerned about Regina and what she might be doing right then... Henry loathed the idea of leaving his mother to deal alone with this, but he understood what Emma had said about her needing some space. That was just the way she was; always looking for segregation to clear her mind. He wanted to be with her, and he only hoped that she was managing to deal with whatever she had to deal with.

They had reached the apartment's door by then.

"Okay kid! Time to have some fun! I think Mary Margaret and David are here, along with little Neal..." She said this as she opened the door, revealing the interior of the place.

The Charming's small apartment felt quite warm. The dining room was dimly lit, just like the kitchen and apparently the rest of the place.

Emma was glad they were finally there, and somehow she felt some weight being lifted off her shoulders the moment she entered the happy atmosphere. Mary Margaret was in the living room sitting on the coach and cradling her baby softly in her arms. She looked up from the infant's face when she heard them come in.

"We were waiting for you!" She said with her usual effusive tone. "I think your brother missed you, Emma! He wouldn't fall asleep..." She stopped when she saw her daughter's face. "How was she?" She snapped. Again, there was no need to specify who she was talking about.

Emma gave her a look that left very clear that Henry was still listening.

"Henry! Good you're here! I was dying to show you these new games for that twinkly device of yours..." David appeared down the stairs, interrupting the scene.

"It's called a Gameboy, grandpa!" Said Henry in reply.

The man stopped at the end of the stairs and glanced at Emma. He looked like he was going to say something else, but after sharing an understanding look with her; he rushed to talk to Henry again.

"Okay... So why don't we leave the ladies alone to discuss whatever they have to, and you and I go watch some TV?" He said with a smile.

Emma kept her eyes on the boy as he nodded and followed his grandpa to the upper floor, relieved to find a way out of the deep talk that Snow and his mom would probably be having next.

Once Henry and David were upstairs, and the sound of the television faded their voices away, Emma walked past the dining room and took a seat in the old chair next to the couch. The wood squeaked while she sat down, and the blonde let out a gasp that gave out her anxiety.

"Was she that bad?" Asked Snow, thinking that Emma's anguish was due absolutely to her visit to Regina.

"No, in fact she was better than I expected. Better than I'd be anyways..." Answered the blonde; distress barely palpable in her voice.

"I just can't believe this happened again" said her mother in response. "Losing the one you love twice... I wish there could be a way to bring him back".

"Well, I wish the same, but there isn't. Once you cross the town line, it's over." Emma looked away. "There is no way of coming back".

"It's so sad... But there has to be something we can do, Emma! When there is true love-

"I'm not in the mood right now," by now she sounded annoyed. "This is all my fault isn't it?" She looked deep into her mother's eyes, and they mirrored her own exasperation.

"Don't say that. You had no idea you were bringing Marian back. You never wanted to hurt Regina," said Snow reassuringly.

"But I did," snapped Emma.

"You were trying to do the right thing," was her mother's only reply.

"Stop saying that! Every time you say it something horrible happens and someone gets hurt-" right then she stopped. She knew she'd crossed the line, and the last thing she wanted was to have a fight with Mary Margaret.

Snow said nothing in response, instead she looked at little Neal, who was starting to wake up. The baby's tiny face looked so peaceful... She tried to focus on it instead on what Emma had just said. She knew she was having a hard time with Regina's situation.

"Anyways. So, did you talk to her?" she asked.

"Yep. No. Sort of." Emma took a deep breath. "Guess she wanted to be alone. That's why she called and told me to go get Henry... I was worried to leave her, but you know how she needs the time... It's just for the weekend, so she won't get that much time with herself."

"Alright," sighed Mary Margaret. "I think I'll go to bed now. It's been a long day and the ones to come won't be easy either," she stood up slowly, trying not to move the baby, and walked towards her room. "Good night, Emma!" Then she was gone.

Emma remained in her seat and stared at the ceiling while she pondered whether she should do something to help Regina or if she should just leave things as they were. She knew very well what usually happened whenever she tried to help in some way, but still she felt like they owed Regina her happy ending.

With a sigh the savior stood up and left the room, wishing with all her heart that whatever happened next was for the good of everybody. She clearly had no idea what awaited them all.

oOo

"I think he winked at me!" Said Snow in an excited voice as she held baby Neal tenderly. "I was about to give him his bottle and he just looked at me and winked!" She told to her husband.

It was morning, David and Henry had cooked some pancakes for breakfast and the sweet smell wafted through the entire house, lightening everyone's mood with it. They were all sitting at the table, Snow with little Neal awake in her lap.

"Really?" Asked David in the same amazed tone. "He's a clever little man!" He threw a loving look at his son.

Emma stared at her plate of pancakes. "I don't think babies can wink," she said with a small laugh.

"This one can..." Snow kept her eyes on her baby and caressed his head softly. "Oh! Today we have a playdate with Aurora and Ella's babies. There are other kids attending too, so we'll be gone most of the day," she said to Emma.

"Well, maybe if you want, I can take care of the sheriff station today, Emma. There won't be a lot going on now that the Snow Queen is gone. It could give you and Henry some time together," started David while putting a large piece of bacon into his mouth.

"That sounds good, right kid?" Emma said. "We can do whatever you want," she looked at Henry with anticipation.

The boy looked genuinely pleased. "I'd really like to go to the beach! It's been awhile since we don't hang out there, and I miss it," he said.

"Then say no more. The beach it is!" Emma smiled and hurried to finish her breakfast.

oOo

She would not cry, she would not show weakness. She had already shown more than her _dearest_ mother would deem appropriate. Her heart was shattered and she couldn't conceive how incredibly _stupid_ she was for letting that small, hopeful corner of her heart get the best of her. Of course she would succumb to those promising childhood whispers of her mind. She couldn't stop them and they won over. The infamous Evil Queen was weak.

That vile woman who was feared by so many, that one woman able to send licking chills through the backs of thousands of not only villagers, but powerful sorcerers and plenty other powerful people, a master of torture, seduction, pain and manipulation, was frail. Regina was weak because of one simple fact: she was afraid. Fear had always clouded her mind and her heart, but it had never been a clean emotion for her. It always came with friends such as grief, jealousy, hatred or loneliness. This time though, it was a mix of everything.

Grief because of her soul mate's inevitable departure, because today she wanted him more than anything. She felt the heavy loss deep inside her bones; she had to watch that sweet, little boy she had learned to love jump from excitement at the sight of his healed mother. She had to watch the loss in the other woman's eyes when Robin- _her_ Robin- had left her line of view. She had suffered a great loss and her heart clenched for it.

Jealousy seemed to float in the air around her whenever her thoughts wandered to her step-daughter's perfect family and all those people whose life was flawlessly handed to them. They rarely had to strive or work as hard as she had to get something that in the end, she never had.

Hatred was a familiar emotion for her; so familiar, it almost felt like home. There were times in her past when she craved the feeling. She craved the feeling because she knew nothing else and what she had learned, she'd forgotten. That, however, was not her current case. Because now, Regina had been reminded of what love felt like, only to have it ripped away after mere hours of having found it.

She found herself overflowing with the familiar emotion, but this time it was directed at herself for her stupid actions. She had refused to take a blind leap of faith in something as overrated as love for years, and when she finally did, it was over as soon as it started. How ironic.

Loneliness filled her entire being. Out of all her mixed emotions, loneliness stood out. Now more than ever, Regina felt the need for company and comfort; she wanted silent understanding...That's how she found herself tracing the edges of a golden coffin with the  
>words "Henry Mills. Beloved father" engraved on it.<p>

Visiting her father's grave provided her a unique kind of solace no other place could. It was a quiet, private location where she could voice her pain and sorrow, with no one to judge her. Ripping the beating organ out of her father's chest had been easy, dealing with the regret, however, had not. On the very day of his passing, Regina had pledged to visit from that moment on at least once a week and talk to him as if he were still by her side.

Despite Henry's cowardness, he'd always stood by her. Mute, yet firm. At first, he had tried to speak for her and protect her from Cora's wrath, but when his attempts resulted futile he'd stopped. Regina would never forgive her father for giving up on her. She would always resent his weakness, although the memorable moments she spent with him were almost of equal weight... Almost.

She laid a crimson, red rose on top of his name before taking a deep breath and a step back.

The woman was about to make her way out when a familiar smell sharpened her senses. Regina furrowed her brow and with clenched fists she walked briskly outside, not bothering to close the heavy doors. She kept her pace until she reached the back of her rocky mausoleum. It was dark outside, giving a very vague sight of the thick forest surrounding her. Once there, she took a deep breath once more and coughed. The scent was so strong, she felt strangled as the familiar sensation burned her throat. She could sense being surrounded by something, or rather someone very powerful. A rustle of leaves was heard not too far behind her and she rapidly turned around towards the sound, finding no one there. A shiver ran across her back as she finally recognized the horrid odor. Magic.

oOo

**Please leave a review and tell us what you think so far! And don't forget to check Consuming Darkness!**


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